56 cook's first voyage march, 



ceived many violent blows, and indeed a part of the 

 bone near the eye was wanting. These appearances 

 confirmed us in the opinion that the natives of this 

 country give no quarter, nor take any prisoners to 

 be killed and eaten at a future time, as is said to 

 have been a practice among the Indians of Florida : 

 for if prisoners had been taken, this poor young crea- 

 ture, who cannot be supposed capable of making 

 much resistance, would probably have been one, and 

 we knew that he was killed with the rest, for the fray 

 had happened but a few days before. 



The towns or Hippahs of these people, which are 

 all fortified, have been sufficiently described already, 

 and from the Bay of Plenty to Queen Charlotte's 

 Sound they seem to be the constant residence of the 

 people : but about Poverty Bay, Hawke's Bay, Te- 

 gadoo, and Tolaga, we saw no Hippahs, but single 

 houses scattered at a distance from each other ; yet 

 upon the sides of the hills there were stages of 

 a great length, furnished with stones and darts, 

 probably as retreats for the people at the last ex- 

 tremity, as upon these stages a fight may be carried 

 on with much advantage against those below, who 

 may be reached with great effect by darts and 

 stones, which it is impossible for them to throw up 

 with equal force. And indeed the forts themselves 

 seem to be no farther serviceable than by enabling 

 the possessors to repress a sudden attack ; for as 

 there is no supply of water within the lines, it would 

 be impossible to sustain a siege. A considerable 

 stock of fern-root and dry fish is indeed laid, up in 

 them ; but they may be reserved against seasons of 

 scarcity, and that such seasons there are, our ob- 

 servations left us no room to doubt ; besides, while 

 an enemy should be prowling in the neighbourhood, 

 it would be easy to snatch a supply of water from the 

 side of the hill, though it would be impossible to dig 

 up fern-root or catch fish. 



In this district, however, the people seemed to live in 



